Play Strategic Game of Thrones Game on PC This Month

A real-time strategy game based on the popular fantasy novel series A Song of Ice and Fire will hit the PC on September 29, publisher Focus Home Interactive said Wednesday.

French developer Cyanide (Blood Bowl) collaborated with series author George R.R. Martin for the single-player campaign of A Game of Thrones – Genesis, which will feature various events throughout the series’ fantastical history. There’s also a multi-player mode that supports up to 8 competing players.

Expectations are undoubtedly high for a game based on this rich source material, which HBO adapted as the critically acclaimed Game of Thrones television show earlier this year. The books are filled with politicking and backstabbing, which Focus promises will be well-represented in A Game of Thrones – Genesis. The publisher says that with clever subterfuge and assassination, players will be able to win the game without even recruiting armies or entering war.

“A Game of Thrones – Genesis emphasizes the backstabbing and political intrigues which are common in Westeros and the fight for the Iron Throne,” the company said in a press release. “Command the assassination of an opponent’s Great Lord, set up secret alliances, send a spy to take the place of the opponent’s unit, or harass his trade routes to weaken his economy.”

Martin’s involvement — Focus says he served as a supervisor on the single-player campaign’s script — lends some serious weight to A Game of Thrones – Genesis, which will be distributed both digitally and in retail stores.